US6216605B1 - Multi-purpose high chair tray construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A tray construction (10) for use on a conventional high chair (100) wherein the tray construction (10) includes a tray member (20) having a top surface (21) provided with a contoured central recess (22) having a plurality of J-shaped slots (23) that open into keyways (24) that are dimensioned to receive suitably configured tangs (34) which project outwardly from the base element (33) of a food receptacle (31) having a lip (32) that is attached to a plurality of tethered accessory units (13) which include eating utensil members (40) and drinking receptacle members (50).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of specialized trays for high chairs in general, and in particular to a high chair tray having releasable engaging means to accommodate a variety of accessories.

2. Description of Related Art

As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,143,374; 4,606,576; 5,458,394; 5,558,391; and 5,586,800, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse high chair constructions having trays adapted to releasably receive a variety of receptacles.

While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical high chair tray construction that is designed to releasably secure receptacles wherein the receptacles are provided with tethered utensils.

As any parent or caregiver is all too well aware, young infants and small children are extremely prone to spilling food receptacles and/or knocking the receptacles and eating utensils from the high chair tray onto the floor.

As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved type of high chair tray construction wherein a central food receptacle is captively secured in a stationary location on the surface of the tray and further provided with utensils and auxiliary receptacles that are tethered to the main food receptacle in a satellite fashion, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the multi-purpose high chair tray construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general, a tray unit adapted for use on a conventional high chair wherein t he tray unit is adapted to releasably receive a base unit which is further provided with a plurality of tethered accessory units.

As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the tray unit comprises a tray member having a contoured central recess provided with a plurality of radially projecting J-shaped slots which are dimensioned to releasably receive portions of the base unit.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the base unit comprises an enlarged food receptacle whose bottom is dimensioned to be received in the central portion of the recess and is further provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed J-shaped tangs which are dimensioned to drop through the J-shaped slots and then be rotated into engagement with the interior of the tray member.

In addition, the upper portion of the base unit is provided with a plurality of discrete apertures which are dimensioned to receive the captive end of the tethered accessory units which in the preferred embodiment of the invention includes eating utensil members such as forks and spoons and drinking receptacle members such as bottles and drinking cups.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other attributes of the invention will become more clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tray construction attached to a conventional high chair;

FIG. 2 an isolated exploded perspective view of the tray construction;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the tray unit;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the interior one of the tray slots taken throughline4—4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are isolated perspective views of different drinking receptacle members,that can be employed in the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate version of the base unit and the tethered accessory units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the high chair tray construction that forms the basis of the present invention is designated generally by thereference number10. The tray construction comprises in general, atray unit11, abase unit12, and a plurality oftethered accessory units13. These units will now be described in seriatim fashion.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the tray unit comprises atray member20 of conventional design having atop surface21 provided with an enlarged contouredcentral recess22 provided with a plurality of generally J-shaped slots23 formed in thetop surface21 of thetray member20 and projecting outwardly in a generally radial fashion from the periphery of the central recess.

Furthermore, as can be seen by reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the J-shaped slots23 form the opening into a tortuous multi-tiered keyway designed generally as24 and having an upperhorizontal race25, a verticalintermediate race26 disposed on the outboard end of theupper race25 and a lowerhorizontal race27 that is disposed beneath the upperhorizontal race25 for reasons that will be explained presently.

Turning back to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that in the preferred embodiment of the invention, thebase unit12 comprises an enlargedfoot receptacle member30 such as abowl31 or the like having anapertured rim32 formed on its upper end and provided with a generallycylindrical base element33 formed on its lower end. The external periphery of the lower end of thebase element33 is further provided with a plurality of J-shaped tang elements34 which are dimensioned to be received in the J-shaped slots23 formed in thetop surface21 of thetray member20.

In order to properly engage thebase unit12 with thetray unit11, an adult would position thebase unit11 such that thetang elements34 will drop through theapertures23 onto the upperhorizontal race25. Thebase unit12 would then be rotated so that thetang elements34 would be positioned above thevertical race26 and then dropped downwardly once more into alignment with the lowerhorizontal race27. Then thebase unit12 would be rotated in the opposite direction to releasably lock thebase unit12 into thetray unit11 so as to prevent a child from disengaging thebase unit12 from thetray unit11.

As shown in FIGS. 1,2,5, and6, the plurality of tetheredaccessory units13 compriseeating utensil members40 such asspoons41 and forks (not shown) and drinkingreceptacle members50 such asbaby bottles51 anddrinking cups52. Each of theeating utensil members40 and drinkingreceptacle members50 are provided with aresilient tether member60 provided withclips61 that are releasably engaged with ahandle element32 of the enlargedfood receptacle member30.

In this manner, once thefood receptacle member30 is engaged with thetray member20, an infant not only cannot dislodge thefood receptacle member30 from thetray member20, but the child or infant also cannot throw the tetheredeating utensil members40 or the tethereddrinking receptacle members50 in such a manner that theresilient tether members60 will not return those tetheredaccessory units13 back onto thetop surface21 of thetray member20.

In the alternate version of the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 7, it can be seen that thebase unit12′ has a domeshaped base element33′ having a plurality of J-shaped tang elements34 projecting outwardly therefrom. The upper portion of the domeshaped base element33′ is provided with acontoured framework member35′ provided with a plurality ofcross arms36′ which support a plurality of tetheredaccessory units13′. The plurality of tetheredaccessory units13′ comprise a plurality of differently configuredmobile elements70′ that are intended to amuse the child while the adult is preparing their meals.

Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.

Having thereby described the subject matter of the present invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions, modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (15)

I claim:

1. A tray construction for use with a conventional high chair wherein the tray construction comprises:

a tray unit including a tray member having a top surface provided with a central recess;

a base unit including a base element adapted to be captively engaged in said central recess wherein the base unit comprises a dome shaped base element having an upper portion provided with a contoured framework member having a plurality of cross arms; and

a plurality of tethered accessary units attached to said base unit.

2. The tray construction as in claim1 wherein the base unit includes a food receptacle member having a lower end connected to said base element.

3. The tray construction as in claim2 wherein said plurality of tethered accessory units includes at least one eating utensil member.

4. The tray construction as in claim3 wherein said plurality of tethered accessory units includes at least one drinking receptacle member.

5. The tray construction as in claim4 wherein said at least one drinking receptacle member is selected from among a baby bottle and a drinking cup.

6. The tray construction as in claim4 wherein said at least one eating utensil member is selected from among a spoon and a fork.

7. The tray construction as in claim6 wherein said at least one drinking receptacle member is selected from among a baby bottle and a drinking cup.

8. The tray construction as in claim4 wherein the central recess is provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting generally J-shaped slots.

9. The tray construction as in claim8 wherein the base element is provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting J-shaped tangs which are dimensioned to be received in the plurality of J-shaped slots.

10. The tray construction as in claim9 wherein each of the J-shaped slots form an opening into a contoured keyway.

11. The tray construction as in claim10 wherein each keyway includes a horizontal race and a vertical race.

12. The tray construction as in claim10 wherein each keyway includes an upper horizontal race, an intermediate vertical race and a lower horizontal race.

13. The tray construction as in claim3 wherein said at least one eating utensil member is selected from among a spoon and a fork.

14. The tray construction as in claim2 wherein the food receptacle member has an upper end provided with at least one peripheral handle which is connected to said plurality of tethered accessory units.

15. The tray construction as in claim1 wherein said plurality of tethered accessory units comprise a plurality of mobile elements.

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